1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus and method and to an image processing apparatus and method.
2. Related Background Art
A monitoring apparatus as an example of such communication apparatus is composed of several video cameras, a composer for performing analog synthesis of videos therefrom, and a device called a switcher for enabling selection thereof. Such apparatus are mainly used in relatively small buildings and are called local monitoring systems. In contrast with the local monitoring systems, recently being developed are remote monitoring systems which use a digital network such as LAN or ISDN instead of analog cables as video transmission lines, thereby permitting substantial extension of transmission lines.
Camera control systems permitting remote control of one or plural monitoring cameras from a remote place are well known. Each monitoring camera is one fixed on a stage as being always directed in one direction or one permitting external control of pan, tilt, and zoom. The latter camera usually incorporates a function to remotely control the taking direction and magnification from a monitoring center.
When a plurality of cameras are remotely controlled, it is necessary to indicate locations and orientations of the respective cameras for an operator. For example, proposed as a monitoring system with many cameras set in a shop, a plant, or a building arranged to remotely control them is a camera information display system for displaying graphics (camera icons) indicating the cameras at positions corresponding to the setting positions of the respective cameras.
Among the recent monitoring systems there are some reported systems utilizing an IBM PC compatible (PC) as a monitoring terminal and realizing video display and system control with Graphical User Interface (GUI). Use of GUI with a computer as a monitoring apparatus presents an advantage of ease to handle even for people unaccustomed to the apparatus.
However, the conventional systems of this type use the digital network as video transmission lines, but show analog display on the monitor. Thus, the display positions of video camera images strongly depend upon the hardware of system. Therefore, since the display positions of video camera images are fixedly assigned to a video display section on a specific monitoring terminal upon introduction of system, an observer being a user cannot freely rearrange the video display position in order to make them easier to handle or cannot select the video camera images which are merely displayed.